THREE SQUARES CONNECTING CITY AND LANDSCAPE
The new urban center in Valldoreix, finalist in the competition for the town’s new urban center, envisions a space that weaves together topography, landscape, and civic life. The project takes Rambla Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer as its starting point—an urban and green corridor linking the municipality with Collserola. The proposal is conceived as an extension of this Rambla: a large terraced platform over the landscape that transforms into a civic square, framed by built structures that organize space and public activities.
The strategy combines terraces and frames. The terraces, stepped platforms that adapt to the slope, host parts of the public program, shops, and parking areas, creating a sequence of spaces that connect the different levels. The frames, placed above the terraces, act as boundaries and transitions, shaping the squares and doubling the ground-floor conditions to foster urban vitality.
Through this approach, the project creates three defining spaces that shape urban life. The Viewpoint Square opens to the horizon, offering a contemplative space in relation to Collserola’s landscape. The Central Square becomes the active heart of the proposal, a dynamic hub for activities and encounters that extends the Rambla’s energy. Finally, the Service Square establishes the link with the peripheral road network and connects to the market and access points, reinforcing its role as a key urban connector.
